Digital channels have long been reshaping our human connections, but the coronavirus crisis means businesses are suddenly faced with a new reality: a near-total reliance on online communications. This is prompting a deeper and nuanced social-first approach.

A significant shift is gathering momentum in the Life Sciences and Healthcare industry. Return on investment from late‐stage pipelines in Big Pharma is at an all‐time low. The pressure to increase returns is driving a sharpened focus on reducing time to market. Faster drug development is being enabled through advances in data capture and analytics. ​

A true vision of the customer mindset is essential for any company in interpreting what will be purchased and why. As businesses compete for popularity in a demanding economy, the ability to explain, predict and influence customer behaviour is crucial to creating stronger relationships and successfully developing products and campaigns.

This requires a combination of data science to understand what people are doing, alongside market research, neuroscience and behavioural economics to discover why.

The identity and preference of drivers are becoming increasingly intertwined with their vehicles. We ask Roger​Lanctot, associate director at the global automotive practice of Strategy Analytics, what the future holds for connected services and security and the importance of consumer experience.

Banks are facing a stern challenge to their security credentials as account takeover fraud becomes commonplace. The time has come to move beyond security systems based on usernames and passwords towards more high-tech solutions such as face-based authentication and biometrics.​Account takeover fraud takes myriad forms, but the results are typically financial losses for the individuals and a loss of confidence in their bank.

Gym chain Virgin Active has over 160,000 members across Italy but its vast geographic dispersion poses challenges to staff who need to work together. By way of response, the company has built a cloud-based collaborative infrastructure, reorienting its entire employee culture.

The traditional car purchase could soon be a thing of the past. According to the consultancy firm PwC, by 2030, shared or autonomous vehicles will be responsible for up to 37 per cent of mileage driven globally. The era of cars on demand is here, and manufacturers must respond now.​In the last two years, luxury car manufacturer BMW has dramatically broken with tradition in an effort to reduce reliance on vehicle sales. The German company has been growing ReachNow, a program described as ‘Airbnb for cars’, which allows people to rent BMW vehicles from owners without all the typical costs. Rentals are made on demand via a peer‐to‐peer app. Ford and General Motors have created similar services.

The potential application of virtual and cross reality in enterprise is enormous, particularly when visual and engaging experiences clinch sales.​As a result, the real estate industry will see some of the biggest growth in its use, given its need to demonstrate what properties will be like to walk around and live in, before they are built. Its normal practice remains remarkably low tech, with sellers promoting properties with glossy brochures and generally quite basic information. The same is true for architects and interior designers wanting to demonstrate their ideas much better.

Embedded SIMs (e‐SIMs) are poised to transform the ways in which businesses manage their assets in the field and how they onboard employees, giving a strong competitive edge. Meanwhile, device manufacturers can differentiate themselves substantially by incorporating e‐SIM based connectivity into their products.​e‐SIMs offer obvious benefits for consumers, including easier device setup and enhanced experiences with network operators and phone/device manufacturers, as well as access to a range of small, robust and secure Internet of Things (IoT) connected devices.

The term “digital workplace” is bandied around much like “big data” and “cloud computing” have been. But, as with those technologies, when you dig below the hype, you find it does offer very real benefits.

Having a digital workplace means allowing useful on-premises and mobile technology to automate tasks, empower effective working, and improve collaboration and crowdsourcing of ideas across teams — regardless of location.